# Could Hitler have gone to heaven? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 8, 2001, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-hitler-have-gone-to-heaven/53662 "2001-02-08T18:35:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Danielinthewolvesden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Danielinthewolvesden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danielinthewolvesden)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-hitler-have-gone-to-heaven/53662/61 "2001-02-14T00:50:08Z")
Oxford “Inhuman: 1- (of a person, conduct) brutal, unfeeling, barbarous 2. not of a human type” “Inhumanity: 1 brutality; barbarousness; calllousness” “Sociopath: A person who isasocial or antisocial and who lacks a social cosnscience, a psychopath” “Social: 2 concerned with the mutual realations of human beings” “Human: 4 showing(esp the better) qualities of man” His actions proved his inhumanity. Was he biologically a “human”? Yes- but we require more than that to meet all facets of being human. Do you dispute me calling him “inhuman”? ---
**Author:** ![jmullaney](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@jmullaney](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmullaney)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-hitler-have-gone-to-heaven/53662/62 "2001-02-14T01:55:58Z")
[sarcasm] But, Hitler just facillitated the killing all those unfeeling, callous, sociopathic Jews. So they weren’t human. So Hitler didn’t do anything wrong after all. So he’s probably in heaven. Thanks for clearing that up, DITWD. [/sarcasm] ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-hitler-have-gone-to-heaven/53662/63 "2001-02-14T04:32:25Z")
> [@](#): > > Yes- but we require more than that to meet all facets of being human. You know, poetry is not biology, nor was it ever meant to be. In this case, it also makes for poor morality, IMNSHO. You did not merely call Hitler inhuman, you denied that he was human, _that he was a person at all_, and used that to help justify your denying him what your God asks you to give to _all_ humans. Use poetic languange and call him inhuman, a monster, whatever, but if you deny him the real-life rights of a human because one can _metaphorically_ claim he was not human, you’re on awful thin moral ice. Or do you think your God only wants you to grant human rights to people who “show (esp the better) qualities of man”? That _is_ the definition of human from your dictionary, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-hitler-have-gone-to-heaven/53662/64 "2001-02-14T06:11:52Z")
Daniel, You are fighting very hard to maintain your justification for your right to judge the heart and soul of Hitler. Do you want judgment so very much? By your words, it seems you do. I beg you, forgo judgment, and seek mercy. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-hitler-have-gone-to-heaven/53662/65 "2001-02-14T15:44:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jmullaney \* > Really? I always thought he was Lutheran or something. 😕 Didn’t he go to church on Sunday like any other leader of a Chrustian nation? \*\* He was raised Catholic, but it’s an open question what he believed in as an adult. See [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mhitlerchristian.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mhitlerchristian.html) for more info. ---
**Author:** ![Danielinthewolvesden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Danielinthewolvesden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danielinthewolvesden)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-hitler-have-gone-to-heaven/53662/66 "2001-02-15T00:32:12Z")
Trisk- Since I am hardly the provider of Judgement- i could certainly be wrong on this. Let me put it another way- if anyone is doomed to everlasting hell- IMHO it would be Hitler. JC could accept anyones sincere repentance- which, again- IMHO- Hitler was incapable of. Gaudere- note i said “I can argue…”- and i have provided Dictionary definitions that would support that under SOME definitions of “human”- Hitler did not qualify. That is different from saying “Hitler was not a human being” (as he does qualify under the rest). You DO agree he was “inhuman”- right? jmmulany - I do not understand. ---
**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-hitler-have-gone-to-heaven/53662/67 "2001-02-15T00:44:23Z")
When someone says someone else is “inhuman”, they are usually referring to his behavior. They are NOT saying that he is not _homo sapiens_. (If they are, they are ignorant.) ---
**Author:** ![Danielinthewolvesden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Danielinthewolvesden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danielinthewolvesden)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-hitler-have-gone-to-heaven/53662/68 "2001-02-15T01:56:35Z")
jab- it is better to read the posts before you hit reply. There are several definitions of “Human”- one of them is “homo sapiens”- but another is what we mean when we say someone is “inhuman”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-hitler-have-gone-to-heaven/53662.md?page=3)